List of retroreflectors on the Moon
s are devices which reflect light back to its source. Five were left at five sites on the Moon by three crews of the Apollo program and two remote landers of the Lunokhod program. Lunar reflectors have enabled precise measurement of the Earth–Moon distance since 1969.
Reflectors placed by the United States
Name | Mission | Date | Location |
Lunar Ranging Retro Reflector | Apollo 11 | 0.67337°N, 23.47293°E | |
LRRR | Apollo 14 | 31 January 1971 | 3.6453° S, 17.471361° W |
LRRR | Apollo 15 | 31 July 1971 | 26.1°N, 3.6°E |
Reflectors placed by the Soviet Union
Name | Mission | Date | Location |
Lunokhod 1 | Luna 17 | 17 November 1970 | |
Lunokhod 2 | Luna 21 | 15 January 1973 |
Attempted placement of reflectors
Planned reflectors by space agencies and private landers
Name | Mission | Launch date | Planned location |
MoonLIGHT | MX-1E lander Flight 1 | July 2020 | Malapert Mountain near the lunar south pole |